Open Meeting & Vigil: Boston Jewish Community Healing & Mourning

Date: 

Thursday, May 17, 2018 (All day)

Location: 

66 Marlborough St, Boston, MA 02116, USA
Open Meeting @ First Church Boston: 7-8:30 Vigil @ Boston Public Garden: 8:30-9 As American Jews our hearts are broken as we see the Israeli military choosing to fire live ammunition at Palestinians taking a stand for their basic human rights. We mourn the unnecessary loss of life amidst this extremely powerful and inspiring moment of Palestinian resistance. Our blood is boiling watching our government celebrate moving the Embassy - a careless and provocative act - while Palestinians are massacred just miles away on the Gaza border. We will be holding our heartbreak together, using the power of collective song and ritual to build resilience as we continue to oppose this endless Occupation. We know that the story told about American Jews has been changing: American Jews do not support endless Occupation. This crisis for American Jews hurts. We know that this violence is done in our name, both as Americans by Donald Trump and as Jews by Bibi Netanyahu. We get to take a stand and not allow ourselves to be used as cover for these deaths, and for the endless Occupation that Trump and Netanyahu are committed to. We know that Occupation and war are not our Judaism, and that we cannot follow Trump and Netanyahu down that path. Join the Boston Jewish Community to mourn the lives lost this week and to show where we stand in this moment: on the side of freedom and dignity for all Palestinians, Israelis, and Jews. **Childcare will be provided at no cost. Teens are encouraged to participate in this gathering** Accessibility: First Church is an accessible space, with ramps, handicap bathrooms, and designated parking spots. After the meeting, we will be walking approximately 2 blocks to the Boston Public Garden, where we will be standing outdoors for about 30 minutes. -- IfNotNow is a movement led by American Jews to end our community's support for the occupation and call for freedom and dignity for all Palestinians, Israelis and Jews. Learn more here: ifnotnowmovement.org